'Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over' campaign begins

Wednesday

Aug 13, 2014 at 6:00 AMAug 13, 2014 at 10:02 AM

Benjamin Paulin The Patriot Ledger @BPaulin_Ledger

The day after a driver allegedly high on drugs crashed head-on into an MBTA bus full of people in Randolph, police around the state will be taking part in an initiative to crack down on impaired driving.

Several local departments, including Brockton and Bridgewater, will crack down on impaired driving from Aug. 13 to Sept. 1 as part of the nationwide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.

“Our message is simple and unwavering: if we find you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions. Even if you beat the odds and manage to walk away from an impaired-driving crash alive, the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can still destroy your life,” said Brockton Police Captain Robert DiBari.

In 2012, there were 349 motor vehicle fatalities in Massachusetts. Of those, 123 people were killed in crashes that involved drunk drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This year, more than 148 law enforcement agencies in the state will be participating in the initiative.

There is a drunk driving fatality every 51 minutes in the United States. During Labor Day weekend that number jumps to a drunk driving death every 34 minutes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“All too often, innocent, law-abiding people suffer tragic consequences and the loss of loved ones due to this careless disregard for human life. Because we’re committed to highway safety, we are intensifying enforcement during the crackdown. Twice as many alcohol-impaired crashes occur over the weekend and four times as many occur at night, so we will be especially vigilant during these high-risk times when impaired drivers are most likely to be on our roads,” said Traffic Commissioner Capt. Bob DiBari.

Benjamin Paulin may be reached at bpaulin@enterprisenews.com.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.